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Monday, June 20, 2011

Never wanted to exploit freedom given by my father: Tendulkar

MUMBAI: India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that during his teenage days he resisted the temptation to skip practice to eat "vada pavs" but his respect for his father always restrained him from doing so.

In an interview to a Marathi TV channel, Tendulkar said he never wanted to exploit the freedom given by his father, who wanted the legend to pursue sporting excellence.

"As a kid I always felt like bunking the practice session and go out to eat 'vada pavs' like most children of my age did. But I never wanted to exploit the freedom given by my father, who wanted me to pursue my interest in cricket and pressurised me to achieve academic success," said Tendulkar.

"When in school I found that scoring runs was easier for me than scoring marks. My father recognised my passion for cricket and fully supported me, insisting that whatever I do, I should not lose my focus," he said.

The former India captain said it was his coach Ramakant Archrekar and brother Ajit, who kept him focussed.

"The credit to keep me focussed on the game, which is my passion, should go to my coach and my brother. They ensured that I never lost focus," said Tendulkar.

The 38-year-old also advised budding cricketers to be self-disciplined.

"As a professional sportsman it is necessary to imbibe a kind of self-discipline and you cannot eat and drink at will. Everybody wants to enjoy life, but one has to know one's limitations and ensure that it (lifestyle) does not affect your performance," he said.

Recalling an experience during the World Cup, Tendulkar said: "The temperature in Ahmedabad where we were to play our World Cup matches (quarterfinals against Australia) was going to be very hot. Knowing that I put myself on a simple diet three to four days before the match. The purpose was to ensure that body heat did not increase as it would have been detrimental to performance, coupled with the hot conditions in the field."